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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Algeria showcases migrant expulsion amid criticism

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Accused of dumping thousands of migrants at the border in the desert, Algeria has opened up the doors of its air-conditioned expulsion buses to try to allay criticism of its treatment of deportees.


With food-filled rest stops and nappies for the babies, the journey south for more than 350 migrants being sent out of Algeria stood in stark contrast to the reports of those who have come before them.


Rights groups have accused the Algerian authorities of arbitrarily arresting and deporting migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.


The government denies the allegations and invited the media on the trip of more than 2,000 km from the outskirts of Algiers.


The majority were from Niger, including women and children, while others said they were from Mali, Cameroon and Guinea.


“I don’t want to return to Niger,” said Abdelkader Adam, 56, who said he had sent money to his family during the 14 months he worked in construction in Tizi Ouzou, 100 km east of Algiers.


“I need to feed my two wives and my seven children who are there,” he said.


Travelling in a convoy of a dozen buses, the 27-hour journey to a transit centre included a stop where Red Cross volunteers distributed food and nappies.


Arriving at the brand-new centre at In Salah — which the authorities say cost $2.6 million — the migrants were served a sizeable dinner and given bottles of water and biscuits.


The expulsion process on show by the Algerian government aimed to counter what it has termed a “malicious campaign” by rights groups, which have expressed alarm at the treatment of migrants.


People interviewed by Human Rights Watch described being rounded up on the streets or at construction sites where they worked.


They accused the police of beatings and stealing their belongings and said they were driven to the border and forced to walk through the desert.


After resting overnight at In Salah, 1,300 km from Algiers, the migrants being followed by the media continued their journey south to a centre at Tamanrasset, where a local official defended the government’s policy.


The latest convoy “is a strong message for those who question the reality of the efforts taken by Algeria to take responsibility for these migrants,” said prefect Djilali Doumi.


AFP was not authorised to continue south beyond Tamanrasset and observe the border crossing — the point at which international organisations claim migrants are forced to walk through the desert with sometimes-deadly consequences. — AFP


Abdellah Cheballah


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